It’s been two weeks and the haunting words of former Browns coach Sam Rutigliano still ring in my ears.

Speaking about the upcoming NFL draft at a charity luncheon in Wooster, Rutigliano said he wanted the Browns to use their No. 1 pick on Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins.

“Right now, Josh Gordon is on the fence,” Rutigliano said. “One more (off-field) mistake and he could be suspended for a year.”

I chuckled to myself, thinking there’s no way Gordon, on the verge of superstardom and a gazillion-dollar contract, would be stupid enough to violate the league’s substance abuse policy yet again.

The only ones laughing now are the draft pundits excoriating the Browns (like many fans) for completely passing on wide receivers despite apparently knowing in advance Gordon had reportedly tested positive for marijuana.

It was a record year for receivers, 12 getting drafted in the first two rounds alone. Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Aaron Rodgers all found Red Rider BB guns under the tree during the NFL equivalent of Christmas morning.

Hmmm, more shiny new weapons for elite quarterbacks who need them a lot less than the Browns’ Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel. What did they get in the draft? Socks, a lump of coal.

The Browns added some insurance Thursday by signing two veteran free agents, oft-injured Miles Austin and Earl Bennett. Neither at this stage is an impact player.

I want to give new Browns GM Ray Farmer the benefit of a doubt. Overall, I like the players he drafted and some of the wheeling and dealing he did. It’s hard to fault passing on Watkins at No. 4 when moving down five spots in the first round netted Cleveland two 2015 picks, including a No. 1, from Buffalo.

But how do you not use the third pick of the second round on USC’s Marqise Lee or even Indiana’s Cody Latimer?

Hampered last fall by injuries, Lee won the 2012 Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver, catching 118 passes for 1,721 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was Sammy Watkins.

Latimer’s stock rose dramatically after his Pro Day, where he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash and had a vertical leap of 39 inches. A bad ankle restricted his activity at the NFL Combine, but the Dayton native bench-pressed 225 pounds 23 times, most by any receiver, showing that he has the strength to deal with press coverage at the next level. And at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, he’s a big, inviting target like the 6-3 Gordon.

The Broncos and their prolific passing attack nabbed Latimer in the second round, the same round where Jacksonville grabbed Lee. The Jaguars took Penn State’s Allen Robinson next, giving their No. 1 pick and franchise quarterback Blake Bortles a couple of play things.

In a fitting end to the draft, Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome, a beloved Browns alum, traded next year’s sixth-round pick to pick to his old team for its seventh-rounder this year. He used it to take ... a receiver.

But, hey, Johnny Football should look good in his new socks.

It was obvious from his picks that Farmer felt defending passes was a higher priority than catching passes. Maybe he’s hoping the Browns find a gem among the four receivers immediately signed as free agents after the draft. (I’m particularly intrigued by Ball State’s Willie Snead, who had 106 receptions for 1,516 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.) Or maybe Farmer put a lot of stock in an essay by Greg Bedard of Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback at SI.com.

Bedard pointed out that over the last five drafts, only 12 of the 35 receivers or tight ends taken in the first two rounds caught at least 50 passes as rookies. Two were Browns — Gordon in 2012 (50 catches) and Greg Little in 2011 (61, and almost as many drops).

The top two receivers in 2013 were Washington’s Pierre Garcon (drafted #205 out of Mount Union) and Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown (drafted #195).

Just something to ponder, while you’re also pondering this: Is it possible the Browns knew before the draft about reports this week that the NFL will revamp its drug policy and reduce punishment for violations involving marijuana?

Change is clearly warranted, given that we’re not talking about a performance-enhancing drug. Two states (Colorado and Washington) have legalized marijuana and others have OKed it for medicinal use. Who needs it more than NFL players looking out of the ear hole of their helmets?

The million-dollar question is whether the new policy will go into effect before a suspension is levied against Gordon and the Browns have exhausted the appeals process. Cleveland fans certainly hope so.

Gordon is going to sit out some games, that much is sure. But four games (double his punishment for violating the drug policy in 2013) would hurt a heckuva lot less than 16 games.

If Gordon is banished for an entire season, there is already talk about the Browns making a pitch for disgruntled Houston receiver Andre Johnson. He leads the Texans in all-time receptions (927), receiving yards (12,261) and receiving touchdowns (61). But would you put together a package that includes one of next year’s No. 1 picks for a receiver who turns 33 in July?

Less of a quick-fix solution would be getting Gordon the help he obviously needs. Few past or present NFL coaches probably know more about the evils of addiction than Rutigliano.

During his tenure with the Browns (1978-84), Rutigliano founded an anonymous support group for players who otherwise would not come forward with their addiction problems. It was called the “Inner Circle,” with Rutigliano leaning heavily on Dr. Gregory Collins of the Cleveland Clinic. Collins is now the section head of the hospital’s Drug and Alcohol Recovery Center.

If there were an “Inner Circle” today, maybe Gordon’s plight — and, by extension, the Browns’ dilemma — wouldn’t have reached this point.

Alas, that would require being part of a franchise that doesn’t change coaches and direction as often as Octomom changed diapers.